Chapter Sixty-Five – Growth

Ailith trained until her muscles begged for mercy and then pushed herself harder.

If she wasn't sparring with someone, she was developing with her magic. Day and night, she practised coating her body in diamond and focused on keeping herself protected for as long as possible. Her stomach churned and her head throbbed. The gruelling experience left her on the verge of passing out. With each passing day, she could remain armoured for extended periods.

Yet, one aspect of her magic that continued to allude her was creating diamond on other surfaces.

She could hear the Silverbacks trek deeper into the darkening abyss of the forest. On her left was the stream, and over to her right lay a flat valley with tall dirt hills clustered together. The giant ants, the size of a domesticated dog, who called this valley their home scurried around, paying Ailith no heed as she shadowboxed against a tree.

Her fists grazed the bark of the tree, reducing it to splinters. A cloud of dust drifted close to her face, stinging her eyes and forcing her to stop. Panting heavily, she rested her arm against her forehead, feeling her aching limb pulse.

She heard footsteps. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Kuval approaching, holding a small loaf of bread. ''I haven't seen you eat today.''

Ailith's eyes darted between the food and Kuval. ''I'll have something later.''

''There's a saying that if you take too many steps forward to see the horizon, you'll fall over the cliff's edge. Training with magic hastily can overwhelm a person. Resting is also a necessary part of the training.''

Encouraged by Kuval, and the rumble in her stomach, Ailith wolfed down the bread in seconds regardless of how dry and tasteless it had become. ''Thank you.'' She said with a full mouth.

Kuval nodded, glancing at what was left of the tree. ''Your form is still rugged in places, but your speed has improved tremendously.''

Ailith glowed at the praise. However, her demeanour faltered as words she had heard not too long ago echoed in the back of her mind. ''It's still an invisible opponent.''

''True, you can learn more from an opponent that offers constructive criticism.''

Ailith stared at him curiously. As he faced her fully and shifted the weight of his body forward, striking a firm fighting stance, Ailith felt her heart pounding.

''Try to hit me.'' He instructed.

Ailith almost bounced on the balls of her feet. She considered the possibility that she had passed out from training a long time ago, and was dreaming this whole scenario. The rational part of her brain scolded her, telling her this was an impossible test. But, the fire in her burned too greatly to be ignored. Taking a deep breath, she balled her fists and closed the gap between them.

Kuval didn't seem to have a tense muscle in his body as he waited. Whereas Ailith couldn't stop shaking, even when she jabbed toward his face. He slapped her arm away, knocking her off balance. She stumbled, surprised by the strength of the hit, despite how relaxed he was. Thrusting her elbow at him, he caught it and pushed her back. A yelp slipped out of her mouth as she staggered back.

''Why can't you hit me?'' Kuval asked her.

''You're faster and more experienced than me.'' Ailith panted before charging at him again. She hurled a punch at his body only for him to catch her fist.

''Your eyes give you away,'' he commented, releasing her from his grip. ''You look at where you're going to strike before you do so. And if it's not your eyes, it's your body. You lean too much into your attacks. Unless you're faster than your opponent, you're predictable and susceptible to counter-strikes.''

Ailith stared at her hands. ''That's my weakness Emlyn was talking about?''

''I've seen it in many, particularly street brawlers. It's a misconception by many that the defining traits in a warrior are magic and strength.''

''You've also got to have the brains,'' Ailith drummed the side of her head gently with her knuckles.

Kuval chuckled. ''And more.''

''More?''

Sensing the world getting darker around them, they looked down the path to see the Silverback herd disappearing, taking the warm glow of the lanterns with them. Kuval tilted his head in their direction. ''Come, we don't want to fall behind.''

When they reached the camp, they continued to walk at a steady pace. The last Silverback's hind legs stomped into the dry ground, cracking it beneath its feet and giving Ailith and Kuval a bumpy road to walk over.

''What do you know about magic?'' Kuval prompted.

Ailith was struck by the question. Magic was something that had always been with her, either from her learning its ways or seeing it in others. But, as she thought long and hard, she couldn't come to a definite answer. ''Uh, it's part of the earth?''

''In everyone and everything,'' Kuval replied, gazing at the forest. The shadows groaned, beckoning anyone curious enough to become lost within the vast, earthy labyrinth. ''It can be as grand as the eruption of a volcano, to something small like a raindrop hitting your face. You can feel an aura in all things.''

A noise from above caught Ailith's attention. She looked up and watched with amusement as a family of six-armed apes climbed up the ivy. The largest one locked eyes with Ailith before using a giant leaf to conceal their nest. ''Animals too.''

Kuval nodded then leaned closer to her. ''But, why are only certain races able to use magic in certain ways? How can someone learn to cast fire? Or control diamond? Where would one even get the idea to learn such a thing?''

Ailith rubbed the back of her neck, pondering carefully. ''I guess it's like learning to breathe. We just know how to do it because it's there.''

Kuval laughed lightly. Ailith couldn't hear any malice in his tone. He seemed to find joy in her endearment.

''Am I wrong?'' Ailith's face flushed red.

''I don't know,'' he replied bluntly, still carrying an intrigued smile with him. ''It could be second nature, it could be something more. All I do know is that magic grows with us. It's an extension of ourselves that connects us to all living things.''

Suddenly, Ailith stopped walking and a distinctive flash of realisation appeared on her face. ''That's it!'' She stared at her hands as if seeing them for the first time. ''All this time, I've been thinking of the trees and rocks as separate things. That's why I'm not able to create a diamond over them. If I'm able to connect my aura with the aura of other things, I can take my Diasormon to the next step.''

Another belly chuckle came from Kuval. ''I would have saved myself so many sleepless nights in the academy if I discovered that when I was your age.''

At his words, Ailith's eyes flickered with interest. ''What were you like when you were my age? What was your training like? When did you know you wanted to become a Knight?''

She would have asked more questions if not for Kuval raising his hand to silence her, smiling at her enthusiasm. ''You may find this hard to believe, but I was quite a troublesome lad.''

''I don't believe it,'' Ailith snickered. ''You're so sophisticated and poised and regal, and other graceful words I've heard Nassandra use.''

''My mother and father were ambassadors. They travelled quite often. I acted like a rebel so that I could see them. My father believed that sending me to an academy would teach me discipline.'' he paused, smiling to himself. ''It did, but I doubt he was expecting much else. When I told him I would be sent to Arsalan as a Knight, my mother had to pick his jaw up off the floor. Literally. He knew Elastisormon. His mouth could fit a table if he desired.''

Ailith giggled at the thought. ''So, you didn't plan on becoming a Knight?''

''I didn't have a plan,'' Kuval admitted. ''I took life one step at a time. When I started training at the academy, I was made to feel like I belonged. I learnt to follow orders. I was taught to always do what was needed for the benefit of the Kingdom and its rulers.''

Ailith frowned. ''But, the Knights didn't teach people that following orders and doing the right thing were not always the same.''

Kuval shook his head, drowning in a sea of memories. ''Even before Kardas's exile, I knew all was not well. We were made to be a superior legion. It didn't matter how many we lost or how many we crushed, all that mattered was that code Niru declared to every Knight that swore allegiance to him. When he died, I hoped that things would improve. So, I continued to follow orders. I didn't want to be the delinquent that earned scorn from his father.''

''You shouldn't carry the blame on your shoulders,'' Ailith reassured him. ''I've also been keeping my eyes and ears closed for years.''

''You couldn't have known...''

''But, I was warned,'' she sighed. ''I was so enraptured with what I dreamed the Knights would be that I wasn't prepared for the reality. All I cared about was proving everyone wrong.''

He stroked his bushy chin. ''And what of your promise?''

Despite the heavy topic, Ailith felt warm remembering that night. Her lip curled into a small grin. ''I still want to be the greatest hero. I still want to prove I can do it, not because of what others think, but because of what I feel.''

Kuval gently rested his hand on her shoulder. He gestured towards something beside them. When Ailith turned, she felt her breath being robbed of her.

Standing before them was a colossal tree. It stretched so high their necks craned back to try and see the top. The branches were shrouded in darkness, with other trees curled and twisted around it like a second skin. The flora that decorated its thick trunk was lush, despite being devoid of colour. Gargantuan roots curved out of the ground, littered with scars that had been left behind by the forest's creatures.

Ailith could have gazed at its wonder forever. She almost missed Kuval approaching it. She followed him as he kneeled and cupped his hand underneath a soft patch of soil. A two-leafed sprout sprang into view.

''The strongest tree started as a seed like any other,'' Kuval said. ''What you're able to accomplish is only limited by what you believe you can do. If you try hard enough, you can make fantasy a reality.''

Ailith's eyes darted from the sprout to the tree. She could scarcely believe that something so small could one day split the heavens. As gently as she could, she reached out and stroked one of the sprout's leaves.

''I know that you and the others are training to fight Kardas,'' Kuval said frankly as he rose to his feet. ''It would be foolish and wrong of me to stop you. We do still need to make it through the forest. However, I won't allow any of you to put yourselves in danger by fighting an impossible battle.''

Though she didn't look directly at him, she nodded. Her eyes were drawn back to the tree. ''This tree had to face terrible storms and giant animals before it grew to what it is now. It's scarred and it's lost some branches here and there, but it's still standing. Right now, I'm somewhere between the tree and this sprout.''

She turned to see Kuval's kindly face staring back at her. ''One day, Ailith. And I hope I'm there to see you on that day.''

A/N: Hello guys, girls and everyone else. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter with Ailith and Kuval. What did you like? What more would you like to see from the group and their interactions? Thank you all once again. The next chapter will be up on Monday. Until then, take care.